Feed-water controller and low-water alarm for boilers.



L. S. WATRE$. FEED WATER CONTROLLER AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1911. 1 56x185 Patented Jan. 14,1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

'u e wloo W QM.

- L. S. WATRES.

FEED WATER CONTROLLER AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE24,1911. 1,050,185, Patented Jan.14,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS S. WATRES, OF SCRANTbN, QPENNS YLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO HULL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION.

FEED-WATER CONTROLLER AND LOW-WATER ALARM FOR BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 24, 1911.

' Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Serial No. 635,091.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I LEWIS S. WATRES, a

citizen of the United tates of America, re-

siding in Scranton, county of Lackawanna, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Water Controllers and Low-Water Alarms for Boilers, of which the following is aspecification.

The feed water controller and low water alarm for boilers forming the subject of this invention comprises a water column connected to and having communication with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, two outlets from the steamspace of the column, a float in the column, two valves actuated by the float, one adapted to admit steam by one of the outlets to a whistle to sound an alarmbefore the water in the boiler becomes excessively high and also before it becomes excessively low, and the other one adapted to admit steam by the other outlet to the feed water valve controller, to close said valve whenthe water is at the normal working level.

In the construction of the feed water controller or governor is embraced one of the essential features of this invention, viz., a diaphragm with a large range of movement so as to quickly and adequately'operatethe feed water valve. To this end the diaphragm consists of a disk of elastic material, as india rubber, reinforced on its convex side by a metallic disk somewhat smaller than the active part of the elastic disk, rigid at its peripheral portion but made expansible at its central portion by radial slits, so as to enable it to freely expand with the less rigid elastic disk and at the same time to hold the elastic disk within its proper working confines.

Other features of the invention will be referred to in the following description of the drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates the complete apparatus attached to the side of a boiler. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the water column, showing the float and valves, etc.; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken at right angles to Fig. 2, of the upper part of the water column: Fig. 4, a plan view of the diaphragm andv its reinforcing disk: Fig.

' 5, a vertical sectional view of the feed water valve diaphragm governor: Fig. 6, a section leading to the diaphragm: and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the steam whistle valve and its operating lever.

The .water column a is by pipe connections attached in the usual manner to a boiler b, the openings 0 and d, Fig. 2, being the steam and water connect-ions respectively. In the column a is located a float e having an 'upwardly extending angular frame f whose upper end is provided with a hollow guide rod fitted to slide freely in a pipe extension h on the cover of the column, and a rod 2 on the float embraced by guide j controls the lower end of the float. In the pipe extension h is a freely sliding rod in iaving at its lower end a valve 1 and a crosshead with lugs m which are embraced by slots in the sides of the frame f. This valve Z seats, by gravity, in a valve seat n in the lateral pipe extension 0 of conduit 79 extending downwardly from the cover 9 of the water column, and said valve is raised from its seat by the lower ends of the slots of the frame f contacting with the lugs m when the float e is raised by the water in the boiler and column slightly above the normal'working level. Another steam opening is also provided in the cover 9 leading to a steam whistle r, and extending downwardly from this opening is a tube 8, containing a spring closed valve 25, which normally cuts off the steam from the whistle. In guide slots in the lower end of the tube 8 is held a double acting lever 24, through which the rod of the valve 25 passes: the lower end. of said rod having an adjustable nut '2) against which the lever 1?. acts to open the valve t. When the free end of the lever 16 is depressed, its other end, by acting on the edge 'w of the tube becomes its fulcrum and the whistle valve is opened, and when .the free end of the lever is raised then it, by a point between its free end and the stem of the for a notice, by the whistle sounding, being given, as indicated by the position of the float in Fig. 2; this oondition may be due be also due to inoperativeness or derange.

ment of the feed water supply apparatus,

notice then also being given by the whistle. I

The feed water pipe 1 is provided with a valve 2 of ordinary construction, normally held open, and also with a check valve 3. Connected to the valve 2 by a frame 4 is the casing 5 of the operating diaphragm. This diaphragm is of a compound character, consisting of a disk 6 of a suitable elastic material, as rubber, to provide for a large range of movement and a reinforcing disk 7 of a strong flexible material, as metal, placed above disk 6. The disk 6 is firmly clamped between flanges of the casing 5 and rests, when in normal inactive condition, upon a plug 8, having a central bore and scored or cross-grooved on its top and seated in the lower part of the casing to which is connected a water trap 9 by a pipe'lO. The upper end of the trap is connected by the pipe 11 to the steam conduit 39 through the cover of the water column. The trap 9 has in its side, near its upper end, a small orifice 12 for the escape of water of condensation when it reaches this level, which may be directed in its course, as desired, by a pipe 13. When steam is acting through the pipe 11 tooperate the diaphragma small but immaterial quantity will escape through the orifice 12.

The metal disk 7 practically covers the whole of the upper surface of the disk 6. It is rigid at its periphery but is made flexible toward and at its central portion by radial slits 14, 14 extending a short distance from the periphery to a central opening. On the central part of the disk 7 rests a flanged plate 15 having a central stem 16 extending through a hole in and slightly above the top of the casing 5. A spring 17 surrounds the stem 16 and acts between the casing and the plate 15 to press the diaphragms down in normal inoperative position, the elastic diaphragm then resting on the top of the plug 8, the grooves of which afford communication to the'underside of the diaphragm of theoperating fluid. The valve rod 18 of the feed water valve 2 axially coincides with the stem 16, a narrow space being between their adjacent ends, when the valve is open. Provision is inade for closing the valve, to cut oli water from the boiler when there is no steam pressure or should any part of the steam controlling devices become deranged, by means of a suitable instrument, as for instance a wedge 19,

roeoaea which, to be always available for use,-may be connected to the apparatus by a chain 20.

The water column a may be provided with gage cocks 21 and a drainage cook 22.

Of course it will be understood that the compound diaphragm having a long range of movement, here described, has other applications than to operate a feed water controlling valve, as for instance, it may be used to control a water level alarm.

I claim: 1. In an apparatus of the character specified, a yieldable diaphragm, a casing in whichthe diaphragm is held, a rod actuated by the diaphragm and extending through the casing, a pipe connected to the casing for directing an operating fluid to the diaphragm, a water feed controlling valve having an operating stem axially in line with the diaphragm rod'and spaced a short distance therefrom andmeans adapted to be inserted between the rod and stem and to move said stem when the diaphragm is in inoperative position.

2. In an apparatus ofthe character specified, a compound diaphra comprising a readily yieldable elastic disk and a superposed fleXible-disk of hard-material, a casing in which the diaphragm is held, a pipe connected-to the casing for directing an operating fluid to the elastic disk side of the diaphragm, a controlling means actuated by the diaphragm, a water column attached to the steam and water s aces of a boiler and into the steam space 0 which the pipe extends, a valve seat in the pipe located centrally in the column, a float in the column and a valve in axial line with and directly controlled by the float, and raised from the valve seat when the float approaches its uppermost position.

3. In anapparatus of the character specified, a yieldable dia hragm, a casing in which the diaphragm 1s held, a rod actuated by the diaphragm and extending through the casing, a pipe connected to the casing for directing an operating fluid to the diaphragm, a water feed controlling valve having an operating stem axially in line with the diaphragm rod and spaced a short distance therefrom, means adapted to be inserted between the rod and stem and to move said stem when the diaphragm is in inoperative position, a water column attached to the steam and water spaces of a boiler and into the steam space of which the pipe extends, a.valve seat in the pipe, a float in the column, and a'valve controlled by the float adapted to close said valve seat.

4. In an apparatus of the character specified, a water column, a "boiler to the steam slide freely in the upper part of the frame, and a feed water controller connected to the a guide for the upper part of the frame, a pipe. 10

pipe extending into the steam spaces and In testimony-whereof, I have hereunto having a valve seat centrally located relasubscribed my name.

5 tive to the float and adapted to co-act with LEWIS S. WATRES.

the valve, means on the frame for raising Witnesses: the valve from the seat as the Water in the HOWARD P. DAvrs,

column rises above the normal working level BEATRICE H. HOLDEN. 

